TOWN OF GRANBY
BOARD OF FINANCE
SPECIAL MEETING
MINUTES
MARCH 28, 2005
PRESENT: Michael Guarco, Chairman; Gordon Bischoff, Christopher D. Comer, Francis Brady, Frederick Moffa, OD; and Al Wilke,
Also present: Board of Selectmen: First Selectman John E. Adams, Ronald F. Desrosiers, and Mark Neumann; Roger Hernsdorf, Town Treasurer; William F. Smith, Jr., Town Manager; Barbarajean Scibelli, Finance Officer; Board of Education: Chairman Cal Heminway, Ben Perron, and Ron Walther, Gwen Van Dorp, Superintendent of Schools, and Harry Traver, Business Manager
Chairman Guarco confirmed a quorum and called the special meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Chairman Guarco indicated the Board received the town and school budgets and announced the meeting agenda for this evening.
The consensus of Board of Finance observers for the budget workshops was that the budget process was thoroughly thought out using available resources and a good balance was present in the both budgets.
Board of Education Chairman Cal Heminway presented the budget. He indicated that the Board of Education budget met the BOF guideline of +5%. The Educational Capital Improvement Fund money available for BOE small capital projects and acquisitions is $350,000, plus $60,000 of building use revenue. One of the major factors impacting the BOE FY ‘06 budget is the opening of an expanded Wells Road Intermediate School. This expansion involves district reorganization, opening Wells Road School, moving 6th graders to Wells Road Intermediate School, returning 7th and 8th graders to the Middle School, and expanding the high school into the rooms previously occupied by the 7th & 8th graders. The goals achieved through the BOE FY ‘06 budget are: to
provide a quality, comprehensive education for students, to meet state and federal statutory requirements, and to actively pursue additional revenues, savings, and cost avoidance measures.
Budget highlights for the elementary schools are:
Maintain reasonable class size and teaching assistant support
Add part-time 6th grade computer teacher and .2 FTE (full-time employee) instrumental music teacher
Support start-up of new classrooms and sixth grade move to Wells Road Intermediate School
Provide ongoing support for continuous improvement efforts (consulting teachers, curriculum, and professional development)
Support math and science curriculum initiatives
Budget highlights for the secondary schools are:
Add 2.6 FTE new teachers and .8 FTE shared teachers at high school; transfer 1.0 FTE teacher to intermediate school
Add .5 FTE middle school reading teacher
Extend support of Salmon Brook Ecology Center
Provide additional administrative support through reducing middle school assistant principal to half-time and adding an eleven month high school assistant principal
Support three new Advanced Placement classes, and expanded participation in the College Connections Program
Support math and science curriculum changes in middle and high schools
Provide ongoing support for continuous improvement efforts (conferences, curriculum and professional development, and NEASC)
Other budget highlights for technology integration are:
Provide computer instruction to all 7th and 8th grade students
Add a full-time computer technician
Increase support for technology integration and strategic planning
Building upon use of curriculum development software, data collection and analysis, and the interactive whiteboard program
The driving forces for the budget were district reorganization/Wells Road Expansion $380,000, transportation $60,000, utilities $93,000, curriculum $62,000, salaries $770,000 and benefits
~-$45,000, high school district enrollment is projected to increase by 85 students over a two-year period, special education $98,000, utilities $88,466 for electric and $132,000 for fuel oil. Lastly, increases in ELL tutors (English Language Learner), school health services, and maintenance equipment. Savings in severance payments and reductions in central office support staff balance these increases.
The Quality and Diversity Fund appropriation request of $161,600 covers the cost of support services for Choice students and other selected programs benefiting students. The breakdown is:
Magnet School Tuition $45,000
Magnet School Transportation $17,600
College Connections Tuition $14,000
Summer School $10,000
Support for Choice Students $5,000
After-school supervision $5,000
Local enrichment/remedial programs $40,000
Parent/teacher diversity training $5,000
Reserve $20,000
Superintendent Gwen Van Dorp answered several questions regarding opening of the expanded Wells Road Intermediate School, health benefits, out-of-town tuition, additional teachers, adding a computer technician, utilities (electric and fuel), special education, College Connections program, and ELL program. She also gave an update of the air quality situation at the schools, which has become proactive with no major problems for students attending.
First Selectman Adams presented the Board of Selectmen's budget and distributed handouts for further explanation. He mentioned that the FY ‘06 town budget represents an increase of 3.8%, which was below the 4% guideline set by the Board of Finance. However, this guideline was met by eliminating a library position. Other items showing concern for the budget were additional fields, roads and cul-de-sacs, and buildings maintenances. Fuel oil and electricity were also a concern for the town like the BOE. As a future concern, First Selectman Adams indicated that the Resource Recovery Facility in Hartford that many towns are using will be full within four years, which calculates to an anticipated tipping fee increase when a new operation is opened.
An alternate request was made by First Selectman Adams to restore the library position and add a public works maintainer midway through FY ‘06 as outlined in the March 28th letter to Chairman Guarco. First Selectman Adams explained how other additional funds (Communications Fund, TAR, and LoCIP) totaling $565,000 were being fed into capital revenue fund and a savings of $148,000 from refunding bonds in Debt Service was an assist with reducing the mill rate expectation. In conclusion, he indicated the expenditures amounted to $11,862,076.
First Selectman Adams added the Elderly Tax Deferral program was a service for senior citizens that has been publicized and more widely used.
Town Manager Smith indicated the town operation budget reflects the needs we have, it is a responsible budget, and sustains a 5% General Fund Balance.
A discussion was held regarding the Board of Education and Board of Selectmen budgets. Some items reviewed were: Revenue funds, additional personnel, salaries, new courses offered on the education side, health benefits, technology, quality and diversity programs, etc.
Chairman Guarco thanked both boards for presenting their budgets. The Board of Finance discussed the option of reducing the General Fund assist to Capital by $300,000, thereby reducing the use of surplus in an effort to strengthen General Fund Balance since the town is planning to request an upgrade to its bonding rating this summer. The mill rate increase is proposed at 4.50%. The consensus of the Board about the budgets presented at tonight's meeting and moving funds where needed was it shows good efforts were achieved and commended both boards for all their hard work putting together the budgets.
ON A MOTION by Gordon Bischoff, seconded by Francis Brady, the Board voted unanimously (6-0-0) to forward the Board of Education and Board of Selectmen budgets to Public Hearing. The Hearing will be held on April 11, 2005, 7:30 p.m. at the High School Auditorium. The use of fund balance revenues be reduced by $300,000 from the Selectmen’s budget and an amount of $312,000 was also reduced from General Fund expenditures recommended for the Capital Equipment/Improvement Fund.
Be It Further Resolved, that the Board of Finance identifies an amount of $300,000 of General Fund balance be reserved within fund balance for future Capital Equipment/Improvement Fund.
The outline below identifies the changes more specifically.
Revenue Budget
Property Tax $25,856,724
Other Property Tax 570,000
Intergovernmental Revenues 5,584,217
Local Departmental and Fund Revenues 1,690,865
Fund Balance Transfers 207,000
Total $33,908,806
Expenditure Budget
Municipal Services
General Government Department $7,450,757
Board of Selectmen and Board of
Education Capital/Equipment
Improvement Allotment 215,000
Capital Non-Recurring Expenditure Fund
(CNEF) 936,516
Debt Service 2,942,803
Economic Development Funds 5,000
Education Services
Education Department 22,358,730
Total $33,908,806
Other Funds Budget and 2006-2015 Capital Improvement Program
Revenue Expenditure
Dog Fund $15,300 $15,300
Recreation $268,000 $268,000
Sewer Utility $111,350 $111,350
Education Quality
& Diversity $161,600 $161,600
Capital Equipment/
Improvement Fund $999,098 $999,098
ADJOURNMENT
On A MOTION by Francis Brady, seconded by Frederick Moffa, OD, the Board voted unanimously (6-0-0) to adjourn the meeting at 9:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Patricia I. Chieski
Recording Secretary
BOF032805
| 
